The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1887-09-17
THE PURPLE MARTIN.

The following account of the Martin is from
the Audubon Magazine, a monthly periodical de-
voted to Birds published in New York at so cents
year.
The Purple Martin is the largest of the swal-
low tribe. He is also one Of the most useful of
this extremely serviceable group of birds. Not
only does he destroy vast numbers of hurtful in
sects, but from his ready adaptability to changed
conditions, and his willingness, if encouraged,
to make his home on or near mans dwellings, he
becomes the guardian of the poultry yard. No
hawk or owl or eagle is daring enough to ap-
proach farmhouse where one or more pairs
of this courageous and swift-winged species are
rearing their broods. If bird of prey, ignorant
Of the presence Of these protectors, .comes near
to see what opportunity there may be to pick up
one of the young chickens that are wandering
about the door yard, the Martins discover him
at once, and sally forth with angry twitterings,
to give battle to the intruder. Their powerful
wings bear them swiftly toward their enemy,
who, too late, turns to fly. They easily over
take him, and dart down from above, buffeting
him savagely. The intruder wastes no time in
trying to give battle to his small but dreadful
assailants, and with all the speed that he can
command, hurries to the nearest shelter. When
he reaches the woods or some thicket into which
he plunges, the victorious Martins rise high in
air, and side by side calling to each other with
notes Of triumph and congratulation, wing
their way back to the home which they have
so boldly defended.
But the Martin is not a quarrelsome fellow at
all. He is just sturdy, hard-working citizen
of the bird world, who is determined to stand up
for what he considers his own rights, and who
is afraid of nothing that flies. Sometimes when
hr A.
the home in which he reared his brood last
summer has been taken possession of by pair
Of bluebirds or perhaps by English sparrows.-
If this is the case, he prepares without loss of
time to eject the usurperS and he usually sue
ceeds in doing this very easily. Then he pulls
out and throws to the ground all the material
that has been brought into the chamber by the
previous occupants, and goes calmly ahead with
his own housekeeping arrangements. 1t is
rather an amusing spectacle to see conquering
Martin, perched in the entrance of his home,
chattering threateningly at lot OF sparrows,
who sit about abusing him with all the strength
of their small lungs, but quite powerless to do
anything to help themselves.
The Purple Martin arrives from his winter
home far to the south of the United States early in
February, and soon spreads over the whole Of the
country, reaching the falls of the Ohio, accord
ing to Audubon, about March 18th, and New
York about the middle of April.
Before the settlement of this country, the
Martins reared their young in holes in the trees,
or in rocks, and even now, in wild regions, they
make use of the holes excavated in trees by the
woodpeckers. Often, however, the farmers,
appreciating the services rendered by this use
full bird put up houses for it. and these are occu-
pied by the same colony year after year. The
hirds dwell tosothar in the iitmast no rmany and
seem never to quarrel among themselves.
Their nests are prepared soon after their arri-
val and are simple affairs of dried grass, just
enough to keep the four or six white eggs from
resting on the floor Of the house. When the
young are Matched the old birds are kept very
busy supplying food to the yawning throats
that ever Cry for more. Some observation made
by Mr.. o. Widmann, of St. Louis, and published
several years ago in the Forest and Stream, give
an idea of the unceasing way in which the old
birds perform this labor, and of the vast num-
ber of insects-many Of them hurtful-whch
are destroyed daily by a pair of these useful
birds.
This gentleman, who has made very careful
study of this interesting species during the whole
of its stay near St. Louis gives in the same jour
nal most interesting account of the roosting
habits Of this bird when on its southwark migra-
ton. This takes place late in the month Of
August, and for several weeks previous to their
departure the Martins in great armies resort to
the willows growing on the sandbars on the op-
posite side of the river to roost. From Mr..
Widmann's description it would seem that the
number of birds is quite beyond estimate
Previous to retiring to their sleeping places on
the twigs Of the willows they sit upon the sand
bars until it is almost dark, and then in body
take flight and disappear among the shrubs.
The voice of the Martin is not unmusical. He
has cheerful twitter at all times and his note
at the breeding season really deserves to be
called love song, it is so sweet and pleasing
Its flight is easy, light and graceful differing in
this respect from that of the chimney swift,
recently described in this magazine, which
seems to be somewhat labored, though in reality
it is not so.
The Purple Martin is from TX to 8 inches in
length and measures 16 inches across its extend
ed wings. The color of the male is deep BLUSH
black with purplish reflections. The female is
paler throughout, and lacks the iridescence Of
the male. its throat and breast are dark gray
and the other under parts lighter gray. The
vOunp are prav streaked with darker